GB1502693 discloses an electromagnetic digital inlet valve, hereafter DIV, for controlling fuel inlet in a high pressure fuel pump of automotive fuel injection equipment. The pump is provided with a passive inlet valve member alternatively commuting between an open state and a closed state of the fuel inlet. The DIV cooperates with said valve member by forcing the valve member in the open position when the DIV is not energized and by removing any additional efforts on the valve member when the DIV is energized, letting in that latter situation the inlet valve member to operate on a passive mode as a function of fuel pressure in a compression chamber.
When energizing the DIV a magnetic armature translates and closes an air gap which dimensional accuracy is crucial to the performances of the DIV and of the pump. The DIV of the prior art is assembled piece by piece over the pump and, said air gap is the resultant of a chain of dimensions each being measured on a specific component. The manufacturing part-to-part dispersion and the accuracy achievable with this DIV of the prior art has become incompatible with nowadays performance requirements.